Game apparatus



Oct- 3 1962 s. GREENE 3,061,313

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. IQ/video M ATTORNEY Oct. 30, 1962 s GREENE 3,061,313

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J, J ,7! .44 /4 4 y a 3 A? 3 A Y iv A V /I Y I I my L I\ l g x Y A Y /I Y A y I a .52 7d x l y /I v A (I'IV 1 A V v 4 4 76 r l A 5 w r A I A v 1 V v i;

I N VEN TOR. SAA/ifl e0 dial-wave ATTOZA/E'Y Oct. 30, 1962 s. GREENE 3,061,313

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.8

ziluwi 47 70 A EY Oct. 30, 1962 s. GREENE 3,061,313

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1960' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 o o O /60 O O Q 0 0 -0 0 $00 0 (5 o o o o i A/ m o o o I; o O C9 4% m. MI 1 m Q N Mk 1* Ma FlG.Il

- 1 /5 d 7? m w I K g JJ/ 1 6 0 m 1)l\\i I A INVENTOR.

ATTOE/VEY United States Patent I Office 9 1 1 Patented Oct. 30, 1962 3,061,313 GAlvlE APPARATUS Sanford Greene, 223 Duck Pond Drive 5., Wautagh, N.Y. Filed Jan. 20, 1960, Ser. No. 3,536 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-139) This invention relates to a game apparatus and more particularly to a three-dimensional amusement device in the form of a game of combining chance and skill and simulating the drilling of wells.

- ,An object of this invention is to provide a game com: bining chance and skill such as that involving the memory of the players, whereby great amusement is achieved.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy for simulating well drilling.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a game apparatus involving random effect and great variations of arrangements of the game board so as to provide almost infinite possibilities for use in scoring the results of the game.

An additional object of the invention resides in the provision of a three-dimensional game apparatus.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a game apparatus employing a simulated derrick having means for raising and lowering a probe in the shape of a well shaft and being provided with indicia means for indicating results such as teaching a simulated oil pocket at a particular level.

Yet a further object of the invention resides in the provision of a well drilling apparatus provided with a signal device in the form of a lamp for indicating when a simulated oil pocket has been reached.

Still further objects and features of the invention reside in the provision of a game apparatus which can be readily manufactured at a comparatively low cost from readily available materials such as wood, metal, synthetic plastic materials and the like and which is highly attractive in appearance and intended for young and old alike.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this game apparatus, preferred embodiments and arrangements being shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatus comprising the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the plane of line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 33 in FIG. 2 illustrating the signal device used in the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail view taken along the plane of line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the winch mechanism used in the invention and taken along the plane of line 55 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective View of the game board;

FIG. 7 is a sectional detail view of the game board taken along the plane of line 7-7 in FIG. 1;

FIG. -8 is a partial horizontal sectional view in reduced scale as taken along the plane of line 8-8 in FIG.

FIG. 9- is a partial perspective view of a modified arrangement used in the invention;

FIG. 10 is a partial horizontal sectional view as taken along the plane of line 1010 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a partial vertical section view taken along the plane of line 11-11 in FIG. 9 of the game board.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 20 is used to generally designate the game apparatus comprising the present invention. This game apparatus includes a casing 22 provided with compartment 24, see FIG. 7, enclosed by lid 26 into which various elements of the invention are adapted to be stored. Further, the casing 22 includes a bottom 28, a front wall 30 and side walls 32 and 34 together with an intermediate wall 36. The side walls 32 and 34 are provided with respectiveseries of slotted guides 3-8, 40, 42, 44, and 46, 48 for reception of plates 50, 52, and 54 which are inserted through slots 56, 58 and 60 formed in the front wall 30.

These plates may be provided with draw strings as at 62, 64, and 66 and are preferably rectangular in shape so that they may be inserted with any preferred edge thereof facing toward the front permitting four different positions for insertion of each of the plates 50, 52 and 54. Of course any suitable sum of plates may be provided as desired.

Adjacent the draw strings 6,2, 64 and 66, the slots 56, 58 and '60 are somewhat enlarged. The top 68 of the game board is in the form of a plate having aligned rows of perforations 70 therein. Perforations 72 are formed in the plate 50 while perforations 74 and 76 respectively are formed in the plates 52 and 54. Some of the perforations 72, 74 and 7 6 are in alignment with the perforations 70 so that if a probe were to be inserted downwardly through a selected perforation 70, it may either abut plate 50 or may pass through perforations 72 and abut plate 52; or may pass through perforations 72 and 74 and abut plate 54; or may pass through a perforation 72, 74 and 76 and abut the bottom 28.

In playing the game, various rules can be drafted so that when the probe passes through the respective apertures, different scores are achieved. In the form of the invention as shown, the top 68 is divided into a plurality of sectors identified with Roman numerals I, II, III, IV, V and VI.

A pair of dice such as that indicated at 78 or a single die is used for providing further random effect to the game in accordance with any arbitrary rule to determine location or position of the simulated well to be drilled.

The invention further employs a signal device in the form of a simulated derrick indicated at 80, which is provided with four legs or columns 82, 84, 86, and 88 Sup porting a platform 90 which supports a winch '92. As can be seen best in FIGS. 1 and 5, the winch includes a sheave 94 journalled on shaft 96 which is adapted to be manually operated by handle 98 and about which a chain or cable 100 is entrained. The cable passes over a pulley 102 journalled as at 104 on the top support 106 of the derrick and has attached thereto other cables or chains 107 which are secured to the probe 108. The probe 108 includes a housing 110 of any suitable configuration though shown as cylindrical and in which an electric lamp or bulb 112 is secured.

A battery 1.14 is disposed within the housing 110 which is formed in two sections 116 and 118 adjustably secured together by means of a set-screw v120. The battery normally rests on the bottom 122 of the inner surface of the section 118, but is raised into engagement with the lamp 112 to complete in any suitable manner an operative electrical circuit to the lamp 112 when the rod 124 slidably mounted in opening 126 abuts the battery 114 due to the fact that the rod 124 forming a part of the probe engages with its lower end on the bottom 28 or one of the plates 50, 52, or 54.

The legs 82, 84, 86, and/or 88 may be provided with suitable indicia or mankings thereon such as are indicated at 136 for indicating the depth to which the probe sinks in relationship to some part of the probe. Thus when playing the game, when a particular well is being drilled the probe is lowered by actuation of the winch and by force of gravity until the probe engages the bottom 28 or one of the plates 50, 52, and 54 depending upon the location of the various perforations 72, 74, and 76. This will cause the casing 110 to reach a particular location from which the simulated depth indicated by indicia 136 may be read.

After a particular well has been drilled, it may be capped by members 144 in the form of headed pins or the like. However, the rules may specify that when the well is dry, that is, when the probe extends all the way down and touches the bottom 28 it may not be capped and hence the player will have to rely on his memory as to the location of such a dry well during playing of the game.

As shown in FIG. 8, the derrick, a screw driver 150, the dice 78 and a container for various other components of the invention as indicated at 176 may be placed in the compartment 24 when not in use.

In order to provide a yet further random effect to the game spherical members 160 may be rolled in onto the various plates 50, 52, and 54 through suitable sets of openings 162, 164, 166 formed in the front wall 30', as can be best seen in FIG. 9. As can be best seen in FIG. 11, these spherical members 160 will in random manner close certain of the apertures or perforations 72, 74, and 76.

Numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art and therefore it is not intended to limit 3 the invention to the precise embodiments shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents .4 may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A well drilling game apparatus comprising a plurality of plates, means interchangeably holding said plates in spaced relationship, said plates having perforations therethrough with at least some of the perforations in said plates being in alignment with perforations in other of said plates, a derrick movably supported on the uppermost of said plates, a winch mounted on said derrick, cable means connected to said winch and supported on said derrick so that upon operation of said winch said cable means will be actuated for raising and lowering a probe, said probe penetrating the perforations in said uppermost plate and penetrating perforations in alignment with the perforations in the uppermost plate, movable indicia means on said probe for indicating that plate having no perforation therein and thus engaged by said probe when inserted in a particular perforation in said uppermost plate.

2. A well drilling game apparatus according to claim 1, including a casing, said plates being square in configuration, said casing having a plurality of slotted guides therein, said plates being slidably interchangeably received in said slotted guides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 566,930 Nimmp Sept. 1, 1896 2,607,593 Petro et al. a Aug. 19, 1952 2,889,634 Bringmann June 9, 1959 

